


i started a joke

by CapnShellhead



Series: birthday remix [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M, Misunderstandings, cross-dressing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-30 21:48:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10885578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CapnShellhead/pseuds/CapnShellhead
Summary: Tony plays a "prank" on Steve and it doesn't turn out the way he thought it would.





	i started a joke

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was in a smut rut (I'll come up with a better term eventually) for a while. In which, I seemed unable to write anything but characters boning for absolutely no reason at all. I'll probably post one of those later. One is actually Thor/Tony, go figure? Anyway, this sort of came out of nowhere and I have a smutty version as well buried on my laptop.
> 
> Hope you guys like it! I may actually add the smutty part later.

Natasha was staring at him.

It wasn’t necessarily an uncommon occurrence. When she’d been Natalie Rushman, she’d stared at him all the time. The difference was that then, he'd had such a big head and he assumed she’d stared because she was into him. Now, he knew the truth and she wasn’t just a hot redhead watching him drink his coffee. Now, she was a specially trained, highly competent assassin who enjoyed long walks on the beach and strangling men with her thighs.

He gave it another ten minutes before he took the bait. “I didn’t do it on purpose.” Her brow rose ever so slightly and he sighed. “Okay, I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings or whatever.” The brow returned to its normal spot but her gaze remained. “But seriously, the guy's crazy sensitive. Is it really my fault that I offended his delicate sensibilities?”

Her lips pursed, “You really don’t get it, do you?” When Tony didn’t reply, the corner of her mouth turned up. “You need to make this right.”

He wasn’t even entirely sure he wanted to. “How?”

She shrugged and finally returned to the paper in front of her. “You broke it, you fix it.”

“Again, is it really my fault?”

“Yes,” Clint said, trailing behind Tony to grab a mug from the cupboard. Thor came in behind him but at least he greeted Tony with a big smile. There was a reason he was Tony’s favorite.

“Good morning,” Thor greeted them as he sat down next to Tony. He was so big he almost made it hard to see Natasha next to him. Unfortunately, she was treating him with a similar stare. And Thor took the bait; “I must apologize for my behavior at the Captain's name day celebration. I did not think it would do him any harm. I am sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Tony began but Nat cut him off.

“It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.” She stood from the table and gave him a small smile. “This is Tony’s mess and he’s going to fix it. Isn’t that right, Shellhead?” Great, now she was staring at him again.

Tony sighed, lowering his head in his hands. He could feel Thor’s puppy dog eyes on him and he knew he would break eventually. So, he just gave in. “Yes, yes, I’ll fix this. Like I fix everything else.” Natasha nodded and left Thor to grab a plate and grab four pieces of toast and nearly all of the bacon and eggs from the stove. He heard Clint snigger behind his coffee cup and he turned to glare at his teammate. “What are you so happy about?”

“For once, I’m not the one in trouble.”

It’s not that Tony didn’t think his idea might be a bad one at the time. He’d considered it, weighed the pros and cons and all that jazz. He didn’t make an actual list because it’s not 1987 but he thought pretty long and not so hard about whether Cap would take this the wrong way. Then he did it anyway because it was his party and it’d been a really long time since he let loose. And not in a “If this was your last birthday” kind of way but in a healthier “Let’s fuck with Cap” kind of way. He didn’t think Cap would react so poorly. He certainly hadn’t predicted he would walk out. Now everything was a mess and he didn’t know what to do.

He’d tried cornering Cap in the kitchen. Blocked the way to the fridge and everything but Cap had just frowned at him with those big, bright, blue eyes and made Tony feel like an asshole. He actually started to apologize when Steve picked him up, literally lifted him in the air and moved him to the side. Then he poured himself a glass of milk and left like nothing happened.

He’d tried knocking on his door but Steve had politely told him to leave.

He’d tried asking Clint to pass on a message but he refused, same way Bruce did earlier. He didn’t dare ask Natasha and Thor might just make everything worse. Tony actually asked the god not to mention anything to Steve.

He’d tried asking Steve during a fight because he couldn’t get him alone any other time. A parking meter tossed by their villain of the week had nearly clocked him. JARVIS tried to warn him but it was Steve that knocked him out of the way. They landed hard on their sides as the meter and the car beside it passed over their heads and, if possible, Steve looked even more upset. He’d gotten to his feet and snapped, “Damn it, Tony. Will you just pay attention?”

He didn’t know how to fix this.

So, he did what he usually did when he’d screwed something up. He called Rhodey.

“Rhodes,” said the gruff voice on the end of the line.

“Good Morning, Sugar Bear-”

“Night, you mean?” He heard bedsprings shifting and then Rhodey’s voice was louder in his ear. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Shit, “Sorry, I didn’t… I didn’t look at the clock.” He sighed heavily and sinks down in the driver’s seat. He was in one of Howard’s favorites tonight. JARVIS had dimmed the lights, perhaps in hopes Tony would take the hint and go up to get some sleep.

“What is it?” Rhodey sounded concerned. Why shouldn’t he? Sure, Tony used to call when he was bored or to beg Rhodey to come visit. He hadn’t done that lately. The last few times he called him, it was because he needed something or to ask Rhodey not to freak out because of Murder Attempt #8.

“I, uh… I really screwed up this time.” He covered his eyes, “It was a joke. Even Thor was in on it but then Cap freaked out and got mad at us and now he’s not talking to anyone about it-”

“Whoa, whoa, slow down, man. Take it from the top.”

Tony took a deep breath.

 

 

It was Steve’s birthday.

He hadn’t wanted a party but Tony couldn’t pass up an excuse like this. He’d told Pepper to make arrangements and freed up his schedule. Once Steve got wind of it (translation: Pepper snitched on him), he’d tried to shut everything down. He’d come to Tony with his usual grumpy expression and Tony turned it into a charity gala at the last minute. Wasn’t so hard; rich people love to spend money and to be seen doing it. So, Steve wasn’t happy about it but he wouldn’t shut it down. It was for a good cause and, Tony didn’t mention this, but part of him thinks Steve was secretly excited to celebrate his birthday. It went by the last two years in silence.

Long story short, Tony wanted this party to be the talk of the town.

Then Steve saw a tabloid in which one of Tony’s latest conquests detailed their exploits. From seven years ago but the press didn’t care. The length of time didn’t matter because this was the biggest story they’d had since the Chitauri invaded. The idea that Tony had one-night stands wasn't exciting enough but this one was different.

Particularly because Tony had hooked up with them in the men’s room.

Steve said he was more upset about the press outing Tony and not the fact that he was cornered on his morning run by a group of reporters asking him for dirty details. As if Steve would know how many men Tony had slept with and whether Tony preferred to top. Steve had given Tony a spiel about moral responsibility and honesty and truth, honor and the American way or whatever the fuck. Tony had stopped listening when Steve got that self-righteous look in his eye. He kept looking to Tony expectantly, like he was waiting for an agreement or some sort and it was then that Tony saw the flush in his cheeks and the nervous fidgeting of his hands.

Steve had never fidgeted during one of his lectures. He was nervous. Steve had found out Tony was bisexual and now he was… what? Uncomfortable? Grossed out? Trying really hard not to offend Tony? What?  
  
He was still trying to figure that out when Thor entered the room and Steve jumped nearly five feet away from Tony. Tony had blinked at him; unaware of close they’d been standing. The flush was in full force as Steve smiled at him nervously, made up some excuse about heading to the gym and left Tony alone with Thor.

“What was that about?” Thor asked.

Tony’s mind was reeling and for a brief moment, he thought he might feel ashamed. He knew what Howard would say if he were alive and he took the time to tell Tony off before disinheriting him. Was it possible Steve felt the same way about men like him? Did he talk a big game about acceptance and tolerance but couldn’t handle facing it head on? Tony doubted he was that good of an actor so he would place his bets on Steve just being uncomfortable. Even Rhodey had stumbled a bit when he found out; he stuttered the usual “my cousin’s gay” and mentioned that he’d found Brokeback Mountain very moving.

It was then Tony got the idea in his head. He’d asked Thor for help and the god was all too happy oblige. It seemed like a fine idea at the time.

The party was in full swing as Tony hid backstage. He could barely breathe in the bodice but he wanted to commit so he wore the exact same outfit as the others. To be honest, part of him had enjoyed looking at himself in the mirror a little too much. He was excited and he told himself it was because he was imagining the look on Steve’s face but it was a combination of anticipation and being the center of attention again. It’d been a long time since he’d thrown a good party and the fact that he was going to get one over on Steve made it even more exciting. No one, save Thor, knew what he had planned.

Then the curtains went up and the music started. He heard the polite applause and then one woman gasped, a man catcalled and whistled and then the crowd went crazy. The rush came over him and he couldn’t resist blowing a kiss to the crowd. The overhead lights were bright but he could just make out Pepper with her face in her hand and Nat smirking at him mischievously.

The Star Spangled Singers were long gone but Tony had put together a troupe to perform with him on stage. The routine didn’t take long to master. He wasn’t a terrible dancer, having been coerced by his mother to take lessons as a child. He kept the rhythm just fine, although his body was not made to bend and curve the same as the others. It wasn’t the dancing that made him stand out from the others. All eyes caught on his tight blue halter-top, the scandalously short skater skirt and the crimson red heels.

Especially Steve’s.

It took the second chorus to bring him around to Steve’s part of the room. He’d expected shock, embarrassment, or maybe even laughter. He’d started out aiming for the first but he found that he hoped Steve got a kick out of this. It was his birthday and he should enjoy himself. Tony wasn’t so mean spirited as to wish Steve a terrible time at his own birthday party. He spun around on the beat and nearly stumbled off the stage at the sight of Steve’s face.

He’d turned an alarming shade of red but not out of embarrassment. He was angry.

He sat at one of the small round tables near the front of the stage, his hands gripping his pants legs painfully tight. His lips were thin, eyes flashing as he took in every sway of Tony’s hips, every sashay and every spin. His gaze lingered on the bare skin of Tony’s shoulders, his arms, his legs. He was livid and yet… he didn’t look away. He kept watching, his hands still like stone until Tony met his gaze. His eyes widened, his mouth softened up just slightly and for a second, just a moment, he seemed embarrassed.

Then the crowd went crazy as Tony’s last surprise took the stage.

Tony put his shoulders back and hams it up for the audience. He’d strayed away from tradition for this part of the performance. This was the part where the Star Spangled Man was supposed to punch Hitler on the jaw. Instead, the good Captain stole one of the beautiful dancers on stage.

Tony to be exact.

Cap, or rather Thor dressed as Cap, spun Tony into his arms and laid one on him. He’d planned a sweet kiss on the mouth, nothing to bat an eye over but Thor must’ve loved the sound of the crowd or thought there’d be no harm in slipping Tony some tongue. Tony didn’t mind, or he typically wouldn’t except he was a little thrown off by Steve’s response. But perhaps that last glance meant he knew Tony was having a laugh and this wasn’t such a big deal. He had to know this was supposed to be fun.

Thor’s large hand lands on the small of Tony’s back as he dips him on unsteady heels. Tony stumbles a little and laughs into Thor’s mouth. The audience goes crazy laughing, cheering and some even whistle loudly. Tony smiles into the kiss and feels Thor smile back as he holds Tony in place, bent at a ridiculous angle. Tony feels that broad hand slip even lower to steady him and laughs nervously. When he pulls him up, the song is on its last notes as the dancers link arms and take a bow. Thor raises a hand and grins down at Tony, his eyes bright with amusement and Tony can’t help but smile back.

He takes his bow and when he looks up, he can see the empty spot where Steve was sitting before. He hadn’t joined the crowd in front of the stage or moved back towards the bar. Tony scans the bar and meets Nat’s wary eyes. She nodded towards the exit with a frown on her face. Steve slipped out of the party and no one else had noticed.

 

“And now he’s not talking to me,” Tony finished.

Rhodey was quiet for so long that Tony started to wonder if he’d fallen asleep. “You squeezed yourself into a corset and short shorts, learned how to dance in a pair of stilettos and slapped some lipstick on your face for a prank?”

Tony was taken aback, “Y-yes. That’s what I said.”

“You took hours out of your day to practice a dance to put on a whole show for Steve’s birthday? Tony, you don’t even make time to go to meetings for the company you own.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“You really don’t see what I’m getting at here?” Rhodey sighed over the line and switched tactics. “How can I help?”

“Well, I thought… he’s military and you’re in the Air Force so…”

“So…”

“You’re both uptight.” Rhodey snorted and Tony felt something in him relax. “What? Is that not true?”

“I can only imagine what your definition of uptight is but I’ll help any way I can. I assume you’ve tried talking to him.”

“Of course.”

“And you apologized?”

“Rhodey!”

“Okay, okay. It’s just that sometimes you think you’ve said sorry because you did something nice but it’s not the same. Remember when you set my favorite sweater on fire because you fell asleep with a torch in your hand? You thought you apologized because you replaced it but did you actually say the words ‘I’m sorry’?”

Tony started to roll his eyes but then he forced himself to take a moment and think back. The few times he’d managed to get a few words in, had he said the words? It was hard to remember exactly because Steve was like a moving target.

He can’t remember actually saying the words.

“No, but I’m sure I did.” He froze, “I had to have, right? He wouldn’t even look at me, Rhodey.”

“From what you told me, he got an eyeful.”

“After that and when he did look, he was pissed. I thought it was harmless but it was like he was offended or something.”

“So you say.”

“If it was you, would you have reacted like that?”

“If it was me, you wouldn’t have done this. You never put that much effort into ‘pranking’ me.” Tony could practically hear the air quotes.

“You jealous?” Tony leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. He can still picture the flush of Steve’s face under the dimmed lighting. He’d been so angry - the kind of angry only Tony seemed to bring out of him. He feels his stomach twist and forces a smile on his smile. He knows Rhodey would be able to tell otherwise. “I’ll be sure to put on a number for your birthday, Sweetness.”

“Please don’t.”

“You can pick the song.” His voice was brittle and he knew it.

“What’s wrong?”

Tony sighed, although part of him was grateful Rhodey could always see through him. “It makes me feel like I did something wrong.”

“Tony, it was an honest mistake. You thought it was harmless-”

“It was!”

“And he didn’t take it that way. It happens. Try apologizing-”

“I have!”

“Try apologizing _again_ and if that doesn’t work, you might just have to give it some time. Okay?”

“I guess.” He was pouting and he knew it. After some time, “Thanks, Rhodey.”

“Good night, Tones.”

“G’night.”

Rhodey hung up leaving Tony in the silence of his lab. Great, he was pretty much where he started before. All he could do was try tracking Steve down and apologizing again. Maybe he’d have better luck if he just caught him after a debrief? He might be in a better mood after listening to Fury berate Tony for a little bit.

 

It took a while but Tony finally put his plan in motion after a fight with an AIM squadron. The first few missions after his call with Rhodey ended with one of the others getting injured. Tony thought it best not to chance it when Steve was already in an abysmal mood. Today, Tony had gotten out with a nasty scrape on his forehead but other than that, everyone was relatively unscathed. He finally had Steve alone so this was the perfect time.

“Cap, you gotta sec?” he asked, his voice hoarse. Steve’s eyes widened and shook his head in disbelief.

“Tony, you shouldn’t say anything right now.” His eyes were red like he’d been crying and Tony let his head fall back on the pillow behind him. He almost rolled his eyes but his stomach turned the last time he’d done that. It was just a scrape.

“I’m fine.” At the sight of Steve’s face tensing further, Tony sighed. “Honestly, I feel fine. I just want to fix this between us.”

Steve dropped his head into his hands and leaned forward, elbows on his knees in a way that had to be painful. He sat beside Tony’s bed on a thin chair. By the looks of the room, he was back at SHIELD HQ. It was just a scrape and everyone seemed to have overreacted today. Steve looked up at him suddenly, eyes narrowed. “You passed out.”

“What?”

“We were going back to the plane and you started talking about getting dinner and then you passed out. JARVIS had to keep you upright in the suit.”

Oh.

“Well, I’m fine now. Honest.” At Steve’s disbelief, he held up two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

“You were never an Eagle Scout.”

“You don’t know that.” He closed his eyes. “It’s true but there’s no way for you to know that.”

Steve said nothing but Tony could feel his eyes on him. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see the soldier watching him with a small smile on his face. ”What?”

“Nothing, nothing. I’m just,” he paused to choose his words carefully. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He watched Steve’s cheeks flush lightly. “That’s not it. What were you thinking?”

Steve bit down on his lip and studied Tony intently. “I know more about you than you think.”

Tony buried his face in his pillow, dreading Cap’s next words. “If this is about the booty call gone wrong-”

“It’s not. I promise, it’s not.” Steve waited but Tony refused to look at him. Eventually, he chuckled softly and pulled the pillow away altogether. “I looked up everything there is to know about you and when I exhausted that method, I asked around. I asked Fury but he didn’t give me anything. I asked Clint and Nat but for spies, everything they knew was either completely useless for my purposes or frankly a little creepy. I asked Rhodey who was extremely wary of telling me anything and then I asked Pepper who was suspicious but willing to tell me a little more than what I found online.”

Tony studied Steve closely but his face gave nothing away. He took the bait, “Why go to so much trouble? Plotting your revenge?”

“For what?”

“Oh, come on.” He snatched his pillow back and put it behind his head. “You’re mad about your party.”

“I was, you’re right.” He lowered his eyes for the first time since they’d started speaking. It should’ve felt like a relief to be free from the Captain’s laser focus but for some reason, Tony felt bereft. A hand came up to rub at his brow and Tony noticed he was still wearing his gloves. He was still in uniform actually. “I thought you were trying to make fun of me-”

“I was.”

Steve’s gaze settled on his again, his eyes a little too open. It made Tony’s breath catch as words failed him. “Because you knew how I felt about you,” he finished brazenly. Despite the redness in his cheeks, his back was ramrod straight, hands steady as if he was going to war.  


Several questions ran through Tony’s mind but instead, his mouth ran away with “How was I supposed to know that?”

Steve winced and lowered his eyes again, “I realize that now. I thought I made it obvious when I tried to talk to you about the papers.”

“You mean when you told me the press ought to be ashamed of themselves putting something like that in the papers. Jesus, Cap, you made it sound like they’d published photos of a gang bang.”

The little line between Steve’s brows furrowed and it was annoyingly adorable. “What’s a gang-”

“Let’s not ask that question.” He saw Steve’s eyes float to the left like they usually did when he was filing something away. “And don’t look it up! Trust me.”

Steve nodded confusedly but continued, eager as ever. “I’m sorry it came across that way. I was trying to tell you that I didn’t care about what the papers said. I hate that someone took advantage of you that way.”

“I wanted to be there, if that’s what you’re implying.”

Steve flushed even darker, “I know that. I mean, I hate that they sold that story to the press. I’m sorry people are treating you differently now.” He scratched at the back of his neck. He was ashamed about something. “I shouldn’t have used that as an opportunity to tell you how I felt about you.”

“You really didn’t,” Tony said quietly. “I had no idea what you were getting at. Still don’t, if I’m being perfectly honest. Steve?” He reached out to take the blond’s wrist. He came willingly, leaning closer where Tony could smell sweat and soot from their fight earlier. He must’ve rode back with Tony without stopping to change or shower. “You… what? Like me?”

“Are we teenagers?”

Tony felt his cheek warm as he shot back, “You’re the one asking me to go steady.”

“I haven’t asked you anything yet,” Steve countered and great, the shit-eating smirk was back. Still, it was better than the sad puppy dog eyes he’d been giving Tony since his birthday party. “To answer your question, yes, I like you. You’re one of the most infuriating and interesting people I’ve ever met. I thought maybe the reason we fight so much is because you don’t listen but that night I realized that wasn’t it. Thor and Clint don’t always listen to me but we don’t fight nearly as much. So, I asked around about you and I tried to find out everything there is to know about you. And I came up with nothing.”

“Come on. There’s stuff about me online. I know because I put some of it there.” He smiled nervously, his hands fidgeting beside him on the bed. Truth be told, some of the stuff out there about him bothered him. It wasn’t all the stuff about his younger days getting bounced from several different clubs when he thought that if he couldn’t get his father to love him, he would get his attention some other way. It wasn’t even the awful speculations about whether Pepper had dumped him because he’d been unfaithful or had a secret lovechild somewhere. Of course, that had been no picnic. No, what bothered him the most was the stuff out there that assumed he was still that kind of person. He hated that no matter what he did to try to rectify his past mistakes, no matter how much he did his best to leave the world a better place than he’d found it, he would never change anyone’s mind. He would always be the Merchant of Death, the war profiteer, the playboy with a heart of stone.

Maybe all of Cap’s research had led him to that fact and he realized they fought so often because Tony was just an awful person.

“None of that seemed real.” Steve ran a hand through his hair, seemingly frustrated. “It didn’t match the person I know. Clint didn’t have much to give me, Fury didn’t say anything. Nat seemed hesitant to tell me anything aside from how you like your coffee. Rhodey was suspicious of my intentions and only Pepper gave me anything new. She said that if I wanted to know anything about you, I should look at what you do and not what you say.”

“Rude.”

“True,” Steve corrected. “So, I paid attention. I tried ignoring what you said and paying attention to what you did and I noticed some things. You threatened to kick us out nearly every week but you hired decorators to design our rooms and have JARVIS order groceries for us like clockwork. You argue with Clint about nearly everything but when he needs to blow off some steam, you’re somehow always there to play video games or work out with him. You tell me I’m annoying regularly, often to my face, but if I ever look upset, you come right over.”

“To make fun of you,” Tony began but it sounded weak, even to his ears. Steve smiled at him and continued.

“At first. You call me Captain Buzzkill and ask me why the puppy dog eyes. But at the end of all of that, you don’t leave without getting something out of me. Granted, it’s usually me snapping at you but it’s something. And after, I actually feel better. It bothers you when I'm unhappy.” He leaned back in his chair, eyes clear like he was getting some huge weight off his shoulders. “So, you didn’t hate me.”

Tony felt his stomach twist, “Of course not.”

“I thought you did,” Steve admitted. “I tried to figure out why we fought so much if it wasn’t hate. Then those pictures came out.”

The pain in the pit of his stomach was back and he turned his face away. “Please, tell me you didn’t come to the conclusion that me being-”

“No, of course not,” Steve insisted. “Let me talk, please?” He waited, didn’t speak again until Tony had turned to look at him again. His mouth formed a grim line as he chose his words carefully. “Those pictures came out and I tried to talk you about them. Poorly, I’ll admit. I was trying to tell you that they didn’t change how I felt about you and it didn’t come out right. But I saw how defiant you were and how you didn’t care what I had to say because it didn’t change how you felt about yourself. And I realized, I was jealous.”

“Of who? The guy in the paper? Steve, that was years ago.”

“Please?” he asked and Tony zipped it, remembering his agreement. “Not the guy in the paper. I didn’t even know about him before the news story.” He took a deep breath and Tony braced himself. “I was jealous of you. You know exactly who you are and that’s incredibly admirable and pretty damn intimidating. To be honest, you terrify me.”

“I do?”

“You’re so confident and self-assured. You don’t let anyone tell you who you are.” He lowered his eyes to his hands and Tony felt something strange.

There was a tug in chest, an urge to reach for Steve and comfort him. He wanted to brush the loose strands of hair from his face and embrace him. The most striking aspect was that this wasn’t the first time Tony had felt that way. It was of course a little different now that Steve was pouring his heart out.

“I wish I had that,” Steve admitted finally. He looked up at Tony then, eyes open. “I couldn’t talk to you the past few weeks because I was embarrassed. I thought you were making fun of me because you knew how I felt and wanted no part of it. I’m not the easiest guy to like.”

“Are you kidding me?” he blurted out, making Steve’s eyes widen. “The only people that don’t like you are probably supervillains and maybe that one guy you stole a bike from.”

Steve flushed brightly, “I said I was sorry and it was an emergency. I paid for a replacement.”

“Even he asked for an autograph afterwards,” Tony finished. “Steve, everyone likes you.”

“Even you?” he asked nervously and god help him, the guy was adorable. “I have to know, if you weren’t doing that to make fun of me because of how I feel about you, then why?”

“I thought it would be funny.” He’d said it so many times; he wondered why it had never sounded hollow before. He cleared his throat, “I thought everyone would get a kick out of seeing me in the old uniform and doing the silly little dance.”

Steve cocked his head to the side, doubtful. But still, he was looking at Tony and seeing him for who he really was. Tony had his full attention.

Wasn’t that what he’d really wanted?

“It was fun and I wanted to throw a party everyone would remember.” He shrugged as best he could lying down. “I really thought it would be fun. Honest. I wasn’t trying to hurt your feelings.”

Steve nodded, running a hand over his head. “Yeah, the more I think about it, the more that theory doesn’t make any sense. I’m sorry I didn’t just come to you about it. I was a coward.”

“Me too,” Tony admitted. He paused before hesitantly reaching out to take Steve’s hand. The Captain seemed almost afraid to move lest Tony chicken out and release him. When he didn’t, instead pulling their joined hands to his chest, Steve smiled faintly. Despite the cheesy, fluttery feeling in his chest, Tony’s voice was steady. “So, you like me. You think I’m pretty.”

Steve laughed, his eyes bright as he took in Tony’s teasing expression. “You’re very pretty.” His brow rose as he added, “And not a bad dancer, I must admit.”

“Not my first time in heels but that’s a story for another time.” He had to admit that it felt good to have Steve hand in his. Even in gloves. “I know I dressed up for you but you didn’t have to do the same for me, so soon.”

“What?” It was almost as if Steve didn’t realize he was still in uniform. “Didn’t have time to change.”

“Don’t ruin the fantasy.” He closed his eyes, the corners of his eyes turned up as he felt Steve’s gaze.

“This? You imagine me covered in dirt and in need of a shower? Sexy.” He eyes Tony curiously.

“Very,” Tony interjected. “It just makes me want to clean you up.” He opened one eye and added, “Among other things.”

He expected a blush or nervous laughter but he received a thoughtful look instead, “Ask me again when you’re not concussed.” His gaze turned heated as he added, “We’ll see what other fantasies we can take care of.”

Tony swallowed thickly, feeling the rush of heat through his body. “That’s probably the most innocent come on I’ve ever heard and somehow the hottest.”

Steve shook his head bashfully and squeezed Tony’s hand tighter. He leaned over and press a kiss to Tony’s forehead and then, more hesitantly, Tony’s lips. He pulled back and the familiar blush was back. This time with a slightly smug grin that Tony couldn’t take his eyes off of. If this was all it took to make him happy, Tony was looking forward to the future. He was glad they’d made up.

“Get some rest,” Steve said as he stood up. He squeezed Tony’s hand one more time and headed for the door.

One more thing, “When you see Thor, can you tell him everything’s cool now? Guy’s been moping around the Tower for three weeks.” He didn’t miss the bright flush on the back of Steve’s neck. “What? He wasn’t trying to hurt you either, you know?”

“I know.” He turned around reluctantly. He didn’t have to say it out loud; Tony started laughing all the same. Steve sighed helplessly. “Tony,” he chided.

“I’m sorry but that’s hilarious. He’s Thor. He’s literally the sweetest guy ever.” Steve was honest to god pouting now and Tony felt overcome with a warmth he wasn’t used to. Not since Pepper left. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“Who’s idea was it for him to grab your ass in the routine? We didn’t do it that way back in the day,” Steve grumbled. He shuffled over to the bed at Tony’s beckoning. He leaned over Tony, his hands on either side of him as he kissed him again. And again when Tony held the back of his head. It almost pushed away the sight of Thor’s hands beneath Tony’s skirt. Almost. “When you say you fantasized about me wearing the suit-”

Tony cut him off with a kiss. “It was always _you_ in the suit, Cap. Thor was just helping me put on a show. Scout’s honor.” It took a moment for him to understand why Steve frowned suddenly but when he did he laughed out loud. His smile was enough to lighten Steve’s mood considerably. “Okay, I wasn’t a scout but honest, it was nothing. Thor was just being a friend.”

“Okay,” Steve said slowly. He spared Tony one more kiss before turning to leave. He paused in the doorway and called over his shoulder, “You wore that outfit for my birthday,”

“Yes,” Tony replied hesitantly.

“So, that kind of makes it mine.” He turned around, his eyes bright as he studied Tony. “Since I didn’t really get to enjoy it the first time…” he trailed off and Tony felt his skin flush with heat but it was a good feeling. He certainly wasn’t opposed to the idea.

“Why, Cap, you’re kinkier than I imagined.” Steve’s face reddened but the smirk wasn't going away. “I’m going to have so much fun with you.”


End file.
